Plants 100-180 mm high, including leaves. Stem subterranean, mostly unbranched, sheathed by collar of coarse, brittle, fibres. Leaves in basal tuft, narrowly lanceolate to ± linear, up to 180 mm long and exceeding spike, 2-4(-7) mm wide, nearly plane, finely hairy. Spike inclined, 4-to 6-flowered; bracts pale green, dry and light brown at tips, shortly attenuate, finely hairy, 25-35 mm long, inner ± as long as outer, forked at apex. Flowers actinomorphic, salver-shaped, tepals forming shallow bowl, pink-purple with red centre and throat, sometimes with median white, linear to diamond-shaped median mark in red zone, sweetly scented during day; perianth tube 30-37 mm long, cylindric, straight or slightly curved, flared outward in upper 6 mm, with thick walls tightly enclosing style, upper quarter containing nectar; tepals lanceolate to spathulate, ascending below, spreading distally, subequal, 28-37 x 10-12 mm. Stamens symmetrically arranged, erect; filaments ± 9 mm long, purple; anthers 8-10 mm long, diverging, violet; pollen whitish. Ovary smooth; style erect, purple, dividing opposite lower 1/3 of anthers, branches 4-5 mm long.
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Acaulescent, cormous geophyte, 10-15 mm, with stems reaching ground level. Leaves firm, linear, erect, softly hairy. Flowers several in short, erect spikes, actinomorphic, purple with a red centre and margins often white below, tube elongate, anthers erect, inner bracts forked apically, ovary smooth.
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